Food, Honor and lessons learnt
by Shiary
Summary: A series of toriko drabbles. will try to update weekly until out of ideas. No pairing (yet) but much fluffyness.
1. Ghetto

So I got the idea to start a series of Toriko drabbles, both as a way to start writing more consistently and because there is a lack of Toriko fics on FF. So the drabble are random, I use a word generator and go from there. If any of you are looking for something or have an idea feel free to leave it in your review and I'll see what I can do.

Drabble 1: Ghetto (slum or poor section of a city) _Continuation of my previous fic 'Unrevealed Secrets'_

After Coco was brought to the IGO run hospital and his injuries treated, Komatsu found himself facing a scowling Zebra, a furiously worried Toriko, a sad Sunny and a injured poison user who kept blaming himself and apologizing to Komatsu for putting him in such a dangerous situation. The Chef had no time to try and convince the injured man that he wasn't to blame for anything as Toriko and Sunny were trying to speak over each other while addressing Komatsu.

'I told you not to go out except for work didn't I? Why did you...' begged Toriko, trying to understand what Komatsu had been thinking. Sunny on the other hand was worrying over Komatsu's health, ' Did you get hurt? Did they do anything to you? You can tell me...' Both men's words simply mixing together and not making any sense to the exhausted man.

Both the night and the still burning fury Komatsu had in him combined with his growing annoyance at the men in front of him cause the normally peaceful chef to scream 'SHUT UP!' He saw Zebra wince out of the corner of his eye, making him regret his action a bit (Only a bit though) before he spoke to the Heavenly king quarto looking at him in stunned disbelief.

Komatsu took a deep breath and simply announced, ' That is enough out of you three. Coco need to rest and all of this noise is hardly going to help him do so.' A sharp glance toward said man stopped the protest before it passed his bruised lips. 'I made my choices and that's that. I didn't do it to hurt anyone except those bastards who deserved it.' The Chef lifted a hand in the air as a warning causing Toriko's mouth closed with a snap. 'I am exhausted and seriously pissed off. SO unless you want to pick a fight with me I suggest you shut up and go back home as I intend to do myself.' He growled warningly as Sunny opened his mouth in protest. ' I lived in this cities Ghetto since I was born, surviving by killing people who had money. I have fought and killed too many times to count. I have as many scars as Zebra, I am lucky they are barely visible nowadays.'

Komatsu turns around and leaves without another words. His body is slumped in exhaustion and tense from anger. As his mind wanders, his feet take him back to his home. His old home, the one he had while surviving among the thugs and illnesses that plagued his birthplace. It was in ruins, burns marks from That Day were still visible. Graffiti from an old past and the newer ones added on top simply made Komatsu feel even more exhausted.

'Brat.' The simple word resounded in his ears, drawing a painfully tired grin from the blood soaked man. 'Zebra-san.' the even more tired reply. He didn't turn around nor did he react when he felt Zebra sit down beside him. 'Reminds me of where I grew up before that cocky old man picked me off the streets.' Zebra brought out a bottle of vodka, the cheap buy in a store kind, which surprised Komatsu. He had never seen the man eat or drink anything that wasn't high grade stuff; it surprised him even more when Zebra took a swing of it before extending it toward Komatsu.

A small hand grabbed the bottle neck before it was brought to an eager mouth who gulped it down quickly. Zebra stayed quiet through it all simply accepting the bottle again and took another sip. The pattern repeated itself several times before Komatsu spoke again. 'I wont apologies. Toriko and Sunny need to stop babying me. I may not be as strong as you are but I can and will take care of myself when it comes to this kind of thing.' Zebra laughed at the word, ' You're plenty strong kid. Toriko just doesn't see that its a different kind of strength; one that doesn't revolve around food or cooking. He'll get over his own cocky opinion and get it straight soon.'

Komatsu nodded absent minded, ' I didn't think I'd ever have to use this again.' He pulls out the rusted knife from its hiding spot, slowly turning it in his hands. 'It was a present from my sister. She got killed because I was too good at following orders. I used this to kill my targets and they assumed she was the one killing them. No one ever thinks I can be a threat...' His words fall silent as tears roll down his cheeks. Komatsu takes the vodka bottle from Zebra and finishes it in one go before throwing the now empty bottle against the ruined walls of his past.

Zebra simply watches and wait until Komatsu calms down, the scarred king knew all too well the lessons taught on the street and its effects on a person's life after they leaves that world behind. So he waits, waits until Komatsu stumbles, the alcohol finally kicking in. Waits until Komatsu looks at him with that smile of his and his anger fades allowing the self pity and the fear to disappear as well. When Komatsu wraps his arms around the bigger man's neck and mutters a soft 'thank you' before passing out, Zebra simply grumbles about the chef being cocky and gets him back to his house, his real one this time.

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So there you go for the first drabble. I'll try to update at least once a week so if I don't do it feel free to pm me a wake up call.


	2. Lackey

So here you go for the next drabble.

Drabble 2: Lackey

After all of the fuss about the Century Soup and his adventures as Toriko's Combo Partner, Komatsu had gotten used to being recognized on the street or hearing his name while walking on the streets. Which is why he was quite surprised at the man now grabbing his sleeve and demanding his attention.

The man was a bit short from 6 foot and was trying to appear menacing which seemed to have worked just fine on the staff but had very little effect on Komatsu. ' You damn lackey! I ordered the Century Soup not this empty bol!' He motioned to the bol of soup in front of him. Due to the humidity and the fact that there was little light falling on the bol, the usual rainbow wasn't visible.

Komatsu simply replied, 'That bol is filled with the Century Soup you've ordered sir. If you were to try and take a sip you'll find that I'm right.' The man slammed his fist on the table, his hand letting go of the chef's arm to grab his collar. He then stand dragging Komatsu to his toes and proceeds to yell at him.

Shocked at such behavior, the chef reacts after a few seconds. The 6 foot tall man finds himself on his back and looking up at a sighing Komatsu who is gently pulling his attackers hand off his collar and walks away as the shop's security run over. He enters the kitchen and ignores the stares his staff are giving him until one of his older chef taps his shoulder and asks ' Where did you learn that?'

Komatsu grins back, 'An old friend taught me when I was a child. I'll tell the manager to ban that customer from coming back.'

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Please leave a review if you like it.


	3. Android

So here you go for the next drabble.

Drabble 3: android

Komatsu had heard rumors of the new cooking androids, who were said to be able to cook even the hardest special cooking ingredient, and had no intention of knowing more about them either. As a chef, Komatsu viewed food preparation as being simular to an extension of himself thus making every meal unique regardless of what was ordered.

When Toriko came in a few weeks after to eat, Komatsu couldn't help feeling slightly mad at Toriko's ranting about the quality of the food the android cooked. Hiding his feelings about the android, he simply put more effort then usual into preparing his Partner's food.

As weeks became months, Komatsu heard various stories about the mechanical android from several customers including Toriko, Sunny and Rin. Every story bothered him for some reason and he started keeping to himself a lot more then normal even going to the point of declining an invitation from Toriko to go and eat something the android cooked.

5 months after the androids became available for restaurants to buy, the company making them recalled all of them without warning. The mechanics would arrive as the restaurants owning androids opened and they would uninstall the android and leave within minutes.

The news channels went after the story like a pack of starving dogs on a bone and soon the mysterious recall was the only thing available on every station. Komatsu wondered why such a recall was made but also felt happy at their disappearance and the return of a more normal cooking method.

It took over a week before anything concrete was found and the reason for the recall's revealed by IGO. The androids were flawed. The programming that allowed them to cook anything made it impossible for the machine to distinguish between 'food' and 'not food' and had lead to several gruesome incident involving the machines.

At least that had been the official version given by IGO. Toriko and Sunny arrived at Komatsu's restaurant right before it closed and with the permission of his manager, Komatsu had cooked for both well after the restaurant had been emptied. At the end of the meal, which had been eating half-heartily by both heavingly kings and lead to a very worried Komatsu, the real reason for the recall became known to the chef.

The company making the androids had used Livebearer's memory absorption technique to allow for the androids cooking ability. The android themselves had been created using human bodies and mechanical parts. The chef in Komatsu grinned wildly, content in the knowledge that humans were the only ones able to cook food properly.


	4. Shakespearean

A new drabble to keep me occupied while I'm sick. This one is a request from tsukidoragonookami so its a Sunny x Komatsu. I don't own anything.

Drabble word: Shakespearean

It had started with a simple rose left on his door step, no letter or words attached. Komatsu had taken the rose amused and puzzled into his home and placed in a a simple vase. The next week it was a dozen roses sent to the restaurant with a note which read:

_Hear my soul speak:_

_The very instant that I saw you, did_

_My heart fly to your service._

The arrival of the roses had sparked a rather invigorating discussion on the possibility of a secret admirer and who it might be. It ended with Komatsu stating he had no interest in such things and that the cooks had better things to do then to chat like old housewives. It didn't prevent whispers of the increasing number of gifts that followed almost daily after that.

Privately however, Komatsu found himself staring and hoping _wishing_ that the one who send those gifts was a certain king. As he touched the delicate petals of the latest addition to his collection of flowers, half a dozen Hibiscus with another note, the chef decided his next move.

A last look at the note he had been sent just this morning settled his mind:

_Have I caught thee, my heavenly jewel? Why, now let _

_me die, for I have lived long enough._

Sunny was surprised to say the least when he returned home only to find a letter attached to a yellow chrysanthemum. Taking the flower in one hand, he opened the letter with the other:

_I love thee so, that, maugre all thy pride,_

_Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide._

_Do not extort thy reasons from this clause,_

_For that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause_

_But rather reason thus with reason fetter,_

_Love sought is good, but given unsought better._

Startled, the heavenly king stood still for a long time, simply rereading the letter and staring at the flower. The gifts continued coming to both Sunny and Komatsu almost daily; sometime it was a simple thing , other time it was a luxurious item that could only be found at certain times. The last was the reason why both Komatsu and Sunny called each other at almost the same time in regards of an ingredient both were looking for.

Sunny expressed his surprised when Komatsu explained he didn't want Toriko knowing about his idea. Komatsu was surprised that Sunny would ask him for help over such an ingredient when he could simply capture it and bring it to a better cook then himself. Both agreed to leave the same day and to keep their temporary partnership a secret from the rest of the heavenly kings. _Komatsu knew how possessive some could be_.

It took both of them a week to find the ingredient, an apple that was said to give luck in love to those who ate it. During the week, Sunny caught Komatsu sneaking glances at him with a pensive look while Komatsu caught Sunny staring at him with an unusually soft expression on his face. Capturing the apple wasn't very hard but it did require a delicate amount of touch and pressure to keep it fresh and tasty while Komatsu cut it in half following the complicated process of peeling it in just the right way.

Less then a week later Komatsu received a small red box covered in gold leaf design. Sunny received a plain white box with a red silk ribbon attached keeping it closed. Within both boxes were half of an apple and a single note.

_My bounty is as boundless as the sea,_

_My love as deep; the more I give to thee,_

_The more I have, for both are infinite. _

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

So here are a few things for those who dont know the meaning of the flowers I used.

Hibiscus :Delicate beauty

Yellow Chrysanthemum: Secret admirer

All the notes are quotes from Shakespearean plays about love.


	5. Change

Here is a new ones. Sorry for any wait. I just got in the middle of midterms so I've been busy.

Drabble: Change

After 5 years of being Toriko's partner, Komatsu had seen and done a lot of things. Some were wonderful. Some were not. Others were simply hilarious. But if asked, Komatsu would simply say that the most interesting thing he did was cook new ingredient for his ever hungry partner even if sometimes there were some... unfortunate side effects.

This time was no different in the end. Teppei had revived a very old ingredient and Komatsu had volunteered to try out different cooking methods to see what suited the new ingredient, the leaves of a Ethioe tree, most of all. It meant that Komatsu would stay at the restaurant (now a 10 star) after closing and spend most of the night cooking and tasting the leaves before serving his findings in the morning to whoever showed up to eat.

The groups often changed depending on who was available but the heavenly kings almost always showed up (Even Zebra), the rest of the group came and went. Sometimes Melk 2 showed up, other times Setsuno came and brought other world renown cooks. It often ended in laughter and another fond memory to add to Komatsu's growing collection.

As morning found him finishing the last of the leaves, Komatsu grinned and started preparing to present his newest soup to his friends. Stifling a yawn, he decided that he had enough time to sleep before Toriko arrived and started complaining about the lack of food.

The sleeping cook was woken up by the arrival of the 4 heavenly kings and were soon followed by the other guests which this time included Melk II, Teppei, Setsuno and her apprentice, Old man Jiro, Match and surprisingly Takimaru. Chuckling at the sudden noise and the gentle fighting that always came with such meetings, Komatsu shouted a greeting and pushed the door open to greet everyone properly.

The sudden silence and stares directed at him gave the first clue that something was wrong. Long hair caught the edge of his eyes, Komatsu turned towards the mirror to his left and stared. The person that was reflected looked a lot like Komatsu except for one very important detail. The reflection was female.


	6. Hug

This is from a prompt by general zargon

'talk'

_thoughts_

Drabble word: Hug

It started with a simple startled exclamation by one of the restaurants newest apprentice, who asked Komatsu, 'How can you let them hug like that? Aren't you afraid they'll hurt you?'

The people in question were the heavenly kings who had just finished a meal and were leaving their favorite restaurant after saying farewell to Komatsu. Komatsu's back was turned away from the Kings who had stopped in shock and horror at the doorway. The restaurant had fallen silent as everyone waited for Komatsu's answer.

Komatsu looked at the apprentice with puzzled eyes. 'What are you talking about? They could never hurt me.' His statement was said with simple but firm conviction even if his voice was filled with puzzlement. He was so used to people towering over him due to his small stature and easy going personality but this was the first time anyone had brought that particular point up.

Komatsu noticed the silence and turned to see the cause. He blinked a few time and then frowned upon noticing that his friends were still there. 'Is there something wrong?' Zebra growled and left in a hurry followed with Sunny who made a rather unusual exit. Coco and Toriko stood at the door way a bit longer before leaving. Coco with a sad smile towards Komatsu and Toriko with somewhat fearful one.

It wasn't until Komatsu returned home that he realized why the 4 Bishokuya's had left in such a manner and that brought him to start thinking more about the hugs he tended to give and received from the Heavenly Kings.

Zebra's hug were straight forward and simple. Komatsu often compared it to the hug one might received from a tamed wild beast. Full of strenght and barely repressed but kind and gentle once the initial pressure faded. Zebra had the tendency to hug Komatsu at random times and Komatsu gladly returned the favors when he could. Komatsu accepted all of it without a thought or fear; something he knew was rare when it came to Zebra's interactions with other humans.

Sunny's hug were more the most complex of the bunch. The strength and length of his hugs changed every time and each seemed to have his own significance to Komatsu. A subtle pressure covering all of his body said 'I'm glad you are doing well.' while a 2 arms and no feelers (at least none that he could feel) often meant that Sunny was feeling a bit lonely and depressed. At which point, Komatsu practically dragged the man into his kitchen or to a spa to cheer him up without any questions or expectations.

Coco's hug were the loneliest and the most reluctant. It was only recently that Coco had started initiating the hugs himself while in the past he had only ever touched Komatsu if the chef started to move first. Komatsu had noticed fairly quickly how Coco's hug tended to be fearful and overly careful while lingering as much as possible as though seeking the touch without daring to say anything. As soon as Komatsu had noticed and named the feeling he perceived from the poisonous man, he was encouraged to touch Coco as often as he could in as many way as he could. His every action was meant to comfort and remind Coco that he was no longer alone and always welcomed.

Toriko's hug were by far the most careless of them all. His hugs were freely given without restraint and while Komatsu had ended up with bruises, he had never wished for Toriko to change the way he acted. Every hug from Toriko had the same message, one of happiness and simple joy at being alive. Komatsu found them to be rather refreshing and they often helped him relax when he was stressed. Toriko never refused a hug and Komatsu never asked for one. He didn't need to.

As Komatsu slipped into bed, he reminded himself that some people just wouldn't understand how a small man like himself could feel so at ease with giants like the Heavenly Kings and his last thought before sleep too him was simple.

I'm glad. That way no one else can have their hugs... even if its selfish of me to think like that.


	7. Siblings

'Talk'  
_thoughts_

Drabble word: Siblings

Komatsu smiled as Sunny and Rin squabbled as always. The 3 of them were waiting for Toriko to arrive before they entered a new restaurant that had been highly recommended by Coco. Rin had started the fight by asking her older brother whether she looked nice or not. Sunny had replied with a comment about how many sweets she ate to which Rin had replied in kind. It was an argument that the cook had heard many times before.

Komatsu sighed, his eye turning away from the siblings and towards the busy street, hoping to catch a glimpse of Toriko. Instead, Komatsu saw someone he had never thought to see again. His sudden silence caused Rin and Sunny to stare at him with worry.

'Is everything alright Matsu?' Sunny walked up to the chef and tried to see what had caused the man to freeze up but didnt see anything out of the ordinary. Komatsu was still staring in shock at the busy street. Sunny frowned and looked back at his sister, hoping that she might know what had happened. Rin shook her head as she moved to stand beside her brother.

'Komatsu?' The voice belonged to Toriko who had just walked up behind the group, his hands filled with food. Komatsu jumped in surprise at the arrival of his friend and he turned quickly to greet his partner. 'Hello Toriko!' he called out, leaving Sunny and Rin to stare at the young chef.

Toriko noted the way Sunny and Rin was acting but looked at how pale his cooking partner was with a frown. Putting his food down, Toriko knelled in front of Komatsu. 'Is everything ok Komatsu?' His voice was soft and filled with concern.

Komatsu blinked in surprised a few time before smiling, his smile was somewhat sad and didnt seem to belong to the young chef. 'I'm fine. I just saw someone I hadnt seen in years. They're probably gone by now.'

Toriko nodded and grinned, 'You'll feel better with some food in you.' Sunny sighed, 'Thats your answer to everything you glutton! Matsu isnt as unbeautiful as you!' To which Rin replied, 'Nii-san dont say that! Toriko is great!' Toriko's laughter only served to push Sunny into a mock rage as the 3 started squabbling like siblings and leaving Komatsu to look in amusement once more.

_At least they can talk to each other without trying to kill each other._ Komatsu sighed, his smile disappearing as he looked over his shoulder at where he had seen them._ Maybe next time, I'll be able to save you, my dear sister._


	8. First

Here you go a request from Mermaid Ninja

Drabble word: First

Komatsu knew something was wrong when Coco called him using Toriko's phone. 'Coco-san? Why are you calling from Toriko's phone?' the chef asked surprised and worried. 'Toriko is sick. Can you come to his place right now?' The fortune tellers words were clipped short and unusually breathless, which only added to Komatsu's worry. He replied that he would leave to Toriko's house immediately and then set out with his prepacked bag.

It was a habit formed from years of having Toriko simply appear and get him to go on another hunt for an ingredient. His bag was filled with cooking utensils, food and basic spices to use on whatever Toriko caught. Now as he sat on a bus going towards Toriko's house, Komatsu shuffled through the bag, checking and double checking everything he had against what he thought he might need to help Toriko.

The chef was anxious and worried about his partner, he couldnt remember having ever seen Toriko sick with anything. Komatsu didnt bother knocking on the door once he arrived, opening it and dropping his bag at the doorstep was all that he could do before going looking for the 2 heavenly kings.

He found Coco kneeling silently beside a pale and sickly looking Toriko. The chef gasped softly as he approached his sick partner and looked questionably at Coco. The poison user shook his head softly and whispered, 'He's been poisoned somehow. I'm trying to make an antidote but its going to take some time. I couldn't leave him alone.' Komatsu nodded wordlessly before hugging the man and replying with a soft thank you.

Coco smiled softly and left, his mind calmed down by the knwoledge that Komatsu would keep on eye n Toriko's condition while he work on an antidote. Komatsu on the other hand moved closer to the bed and observed the man lying all to still in between the sheets. Toriko was pale and sweat could be seen rolling down his face and neck. A low moan of pain filled the still air before disappearing into silence.

Toriko shifted slightly and his eyes cracked open a bit, the huge man could barely make out the blurred form of the person sitting by his bed but he somehow knew who it was. 'Komatsu. Are you alright?' Komatsu reached out, his trembling hand warm on the too cold skin of the sick king. 'I'm fine, dont worry about me and concentrate on getting better ok? Coco is making an antidote and you'll be back on your feet before you know it. I'll make you whatever you want to eat so hurry up and get better soon...'

Komatsu sat down on the edge of the bed, watching carefully as Toriko fell back asleep as he talked, the moment he stopped though, his partner moaned softly and shifted as if in pain and Komatsu started talking again. At first, he talked about the restaurent and the new food he was creating and trying out. Then it was the food that Komatsu would cook for Toriko once the man was back on his feet and finally he talked about his own past.  
Komatsu told Toriko about what had happened when he had been living in the slums of the city, making a living out of killing people in order to protect and help his older sister get food and be safe. His sister that he had seen a few weeks ago, walking mindlessly after 2 members of the gourmet mafia.

The chef told Toriko's sleeping form about how he had ended up killing the old boss of the strongest mafia boss while the man had been in town but had doing too good of a job in hiding his tracks. The resulting hunt for the killer had lead to his sister's abduction and then her being blamed for the death because of the knife she had been repairing for Komatsu.

He told his partner about the punishment that had been chosen for his older sister, to be made into a mindless slave for the new boss until she died. How the loss of his sister had turned him into a mindless killing machine until the day he woke up with a blade on the neck of his own sister, sent to kill him.

Komatsu stopped, trying to find the words to describe what had happened then, how he had run and hadn't stopped running until he reached a cooking school that was open to everyone. How he had turned his talent to kill into a talent with food. How he had chosen the name Komatsu, the name of the man whose death had started the whole mess, as a reminder of what he had lost.

As he tried to think on how to explain what had happened to his sick partner, the assassin turned chef heard footsteps approaching. Coco appeared with a satisfied smile on his face and a small bottle in his hand. 'I've got it. Toriko will be back on his feet by morning. You've done enough. Go get some sleep, I'll watch over him now.' Coco offered as he dripped the liquid into Toriko's mouth and watched carefully as the man swallowed it.

Komatsu shook his head, ' I'll wait with you just to be sure then you should go and get some rest Coco-san. You've done a lot more then I have.' Coco smiled softly, unwilling to let the smaller man know that he had overheard everything Komatsu had said and unwilling to say anything to him about it either.

Both settled side by side as they waited and watched for the effects of the antidote on their friend.

_This is based on my personnal head canon, I've had a few people asking about the sister I mentioned in previous drabbles so here is more info about her._


	9. examiner

Here is the next one :)

Drabble Word: Examiner

It was the worst day in Komatsu's memory. It had started normally enough with him getting up and being ready to start a new day at the restaurant not to mention finishing his new Crème Brûler recipe with the ingredients Sunny had sent him. It had only started going horribly wrong when the eager chef had arrived at his restaurant only to find it closed.

Stunned by the notice stating that the restaurant would be closed until further notice, Komatsu ran to find the manager in order to get an explanation for the closure. He found the man trying to talk with a tall stranger wearing a very expansive suit and who's body language told Komatsu that he thought the manager to be nothing more then an annoyance.

'Manager! What's going on?' Komatsu asked with a frown, 'There is a notice stating that the restaurant is closed until further notice. What's going on?' His questions made the stranger huff and turn away, shrugging off the manager's startled cry at his departure and leaving both restaurant workers alone.

The manager sat down on the floor in exhaustion and despair not looking at Komatsu as he answered, 'That was an IGO examiner, he said that the restaurant didn't comply with the new regulations concerning food quality and ordered us closed until we clean and repair everything!'

Komatsu gasped, ' That's impossible! The kitchen is perfectly equipped! The food is checked by myself or one of the assistant chefs and anything not in perfect condition is put aside for personnel use or for trying out new recipes!' his voice was filled with raw disbelief and anger that someone could declare the restaurant to be unfit.

The manager smiled sadly at his main chef and waved him off. ' I'll call everyone and tell them that there is no need for them to come in today. I'm afraid you wont be able to go in either Komatsu-kun, the examiner confiscated the keys and locked everything.'

Komatsu watched as his manger walked wearily away towards the offsite office for their restaurant. While he couldn't understand how such a thing could happen or why, Komatsu also couldn't simply walk away and waste the food he had started last evening. His mind made up, the small man moved towards the emergency stairs and climbed the outside portion.

As he started to pick the lock leading inside, Komatsu wondered why an IGO examiner would declare his restaurant to be unfit and not complying with regulations. By the time, he had opened the door, re-locked it and walked to his kitchen, Komatsu had reached an awkward conclusion. The examiner wasn't a real one.

His Crème Brûler was intact and waiting for his last minute touches before being finished which Komatsu easily did. As the dessert was completed and packed in a bag to be sent to Sunny and Rin, Komatsu decided to include a note concerning the supposed IGO examiner to the siblings, hoping that perhaps they could look into it for him and help reopen the restaurant before long.

He had left the restaurant, feeling very uneasy, and returned home after sending the packaged dessert to its destination. The day was by far one of the very worst that Komatsu could remember. By mid-day, the chef was bored but couldn't decide what to cook and honestly didn't feel like cooking at all.

By mid-afternoon, Komatsu had reread all of his cook books, rewritten recipes and made a mess of his home. His frantic pacing were interrupted by a knock on the door. The chef opened the door only to be greeted by a thrusting hand holding a bunch of Snapdragon and a voice that talked quickly.

'My apologies Chef Komatsu for barging in like this. I'm Manager Histo of the 5 stars Nofir eatery. I heard that your restaurant was closing and came to offer you a position as head Cook for my restaurant!' The man barged inside a few steps, disregarding the usual niceties of polite society as he talked and dropped the flowers into Komatsu's arms. He turned around with a grin and continued, 'Of course I dont expect an immediate answer but please consider this opportunity and choose quickly, our eatery is a fine establishment and many cook aspire to work there. I'll be back in 3 days for your answer. Good day.' the one sided discussion ended and the man once more brushed aside Komatsu and left without looking back, leaving a stunned Komatsu in his wake.

'Definitively the worst day ever.' Komatsu sighed and leaned his head on the wall in exasperation.

drouthedtreo495u495h6uert8ye9rt

And there you go another drabble for your pleasure. Please leave a review :) The flowers Snapdragon means Presumptuous.


	10. Fall

A nice week of relaxation with little to no exams, tests or quiz. I felt like writing about Match and Takimaru. Feel free to skip this one if you dont like them.

Drabble word: Fall

Takimaru was angry, his horse and partner had a broken leg and it was his fault. The gourmet knight had not been paying attention to the ground while traveling across the country side and it had cost his dear mount the ability to move. As the sun weaved its way downwards past the mountain and the moon made its climb to illuminate the falling night, Takimaru found himself alone in unfamiliar territory.

While this was not the first time the knight found himself in such a situation, he found himself growing increasingly uneasy for some reason. His horse was lying on its side, resting as much as it could and Takimaru knew that even injured his partner would warn him if its senses perceived a danger.

The night was unrest-full for the gourmet knight between his unexplained unrest and tending to his injured horse. Predawn light was a welcome sight for the exhausted knight, as Takimaru sighed and felt himself relax, a shout from behind him and the sight of a few dozen men rising suddenly with weapons pointed towards him.

'Dont move!' The order was shouted from behind him. Takimaru forced himself to stand still, while the weapons were of no danger to him it would be impossible for his injured mount to move out of the way of any stray bullets and that was something he wouldnt allow to happen.

Preparing himself mentally for whatever would happen next, he found himself surprised by a startled outcry, 'Takimaru?' Match's voice came as a relief to the tired knight who turned towards the mafioso. Match smiled warmly as he saw the expression crossing the gourmet knight's beautiful face and motioned for his men to leave them.

'Match-san! What are you doing here?' Takimaru asked as he got up. Match smirked, 'That should be my question kid, but if you must know I'm hunting down a group of kidnappers who assaulted the wife of one of my men. What about you?' the mafia leader moved closer and looked toward the horse lying down behind Takimaru.

Takimaru smiled humorlessly at his friend, ' I was heading back to Eco village but I got careless and now Kioshi is paying the price for it. His front leg is injured and I wont leave him alone.' The knight indicated his mount sadly with a gesture, his eyes turning downwards in shame making his companion blush slightly at the cute expression.

Match placed a hand on Takimaru's shoulder, ' Dont worry kid. I can get my men to bring him safely to Eco village for you. As for us, I'm going to Komatsu's in a while, why dont you join me? He's making a new recipe.' His reply left a relieved knight in his wake as the Mafioso gave orders quickly and efficiently.

In less then an hour, Takimaru saw a car pull up with a horse carriage and a man who presented himself as a vet to the knight, take his mount and leave with orders to ensure the safe delivery of Kioshi before he himself boarded a second car, driven by Match himself and heading towards Komatsu's restaurant.

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I guess in the end it did involve Komatsu a bit. This one shot is related to the 'Changed' chapter posted earlier though only because it explained why Takimaru showed up. And yes, I have a head cannon that Match is attracted to Takimaru.


	11. Failure

This one is a bit about me. I'm having a hard time at College and for some odd reason one of my teachers just turned my barely passing grade into a failing one on a 2 week old test so I'm freaking out and have no idea what to do.

Drabble word: Failure

Komatsu couldnt believe it. Sitting in front of him was a black, burnt and completely overcooked piece of meat that didnt even look eatable anymore. The veggies he had started an hour ago were completely overcooked and the delicious apple-cranberry sauce he had made was not nearly as delicious as it was supposed to be.

The chef collapsed, unable to understand why he suddenly found himself unable to do anything right. Everything he cooked ended up ruined and disgusting. He had tried following every recipe to the letter but it seemed as though he could no longer cook at all.

Komatsu found himself in a new situation, cooking had always been easy to him and while it had taken a lot of work to create and improve new recipes; he had never had any trouble following them and getting a good result. A feeling of powerlessness and despair mixed with complete confusion grew inside his chest, making him frantic and uneasy.

The chef couldnt stay at his house any longer, grabbing his bag he left the house and headed into the countryside, hoping that moving around would help clear his head. As he walked down the dirt roads, he went over every detail trying to find a reason for his failures and finding none.

Night fell slowly but Komatsu continued walking, lost in his misery only to be woken up but a growl. While he hadnt paid attention, the small chef had wandered into the territory of a rather large wolf who was now staring at him.

Komatsu stopped, fearful, his hand scrambling to his belt only to find his usual Melk Knife to be missing. I left it on the kitchen table. The thought passed by quickly before being replaced by acceptance of his fate. Toriko wasnt there to save him and Komatsu had no way to protect himself from the animal and even if he had, the chef wasnt sure if he would have done anything to save himself. After all what good was he if he could no longer cook!

Those were his last thoughts as the wolf lunged at him and pain flared across his body before everything faded to black.


End file.
